Quirky News

Honesty pays for homeless man

An internet campaign to reward a homeless man who returned a diamond engagement ring to a woman after it fell into his cup has raised more than £100,000.

More than 7,000 people have contributed to the fund to reward Kansas man Billy Ray Harris, with 78 days to go before the 90-day appeal ends.

The campaign was set up by the fiance of Sarah Darling, who accidentally dropped her engagement ring into Mr Harris' cup while giving him spare change.

Mr Harris discovered the ring about an hour after Ms Darling gave him the money and, although he says he knew it was incredibly valuable, decided to hold on to it, rather than cash it in.

"The ring was so big that I knew if it was real, it was expensive," Mr Harris told local television station KCTV.Mr Harris, who usually sleeps under a bridge, said a distraught Ms Darling returned to him two days later after failing to find him the previous day.

He told a reporter: "She squatted down like you did right there and says 'Do you remember me?' And I was like 'I don't know, I see a lot of faces'.

"She says 'I might have gave you something very valuable'. I said 'Was it a ring?' And she says 'yeah'. And I said 'Well I have it'."

Ms Darling's fiance Bill Krejci was so moved by Mr Harris' kindness that he set up the GiveForward.com donation page.

Mr Harris added: "My grandfather was a reverend. He raised from the time I was six months old and thank the good Lord. It's a blessing but I do still have some character."